On Monday, while teammates were packing up to leave Ashburn, VA and head towards their offseason homes or vacation spots, Andre Carter told reporters that he would be surprised if the Redskins picked up his roster option bonus for next season. If the Redskins decline to pay him the bonus, he will become an unrestricted free agent. Carter is uncertain of his status on the team next year and does not know what direction the team will go when it comes to the rest of the roster
“I really don’t know what changes will be made. That decision will be determined by the head man,” Carter said.
Speaking of the head man, Carter said he does not know when he will meet with Head Coach Mike Shanahan or even Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett to discuss his future in D.C.
“I really have no clue when I will meet with the coaches. I am sure the topic will be up for discussion eventually. Until then, I will pray and wait to see what happens,” Carter said.
Carter feels that he has learned a lot about himself over the past 12 months and that it will help him out no matter where he lands in 2011.
“Never in my career has my pride and faith been tested,” he said. “I’m thankful for the experience. I learned a lot about God’s plan and I was reminded that obstacles in life always have its purpose. Playing linebacker in this scheme made me more versatile and gave me an understanding of what capabilities the 3-4 defense can create.”
Whether he’s playing linebacker or defensive end, Carter plans to continue to stay limber and work on his cardio in the offseason to prepare for next season.
“I will continue to work on speed and endurance. I will have an opportunity to do some type of martial arts and a lot of stretching. If I am playing linebacker or defensive end, my routine will prepare me for the following season,” he said.
If Carter does return to the Redskins in 2011, he will approach playing linebacker the same way he did in 2010.
“It’s a role that I will have to accept and will continue to be a professional in the 2011 season if that becomes my reality,” Carter said.
Carter’s affinity for playing defensive end comes from years and years of honing his craft and not trying to adjust to another position, hence his struggles with the linebacker spot in 2005 and 2010.
“Like any sport, it’s about repetition,” Carter said. “Take the number of snaps from high school, college, and NFL, in practice and in games throughout my career. Now take the 2005 and 2010 snaps at linebacker in practice and in games. I’ve been playing defensive end all of my career. I am what I am.”
Now that the regular season is over, Carter can look back on one of the strangest years in league history and pick out what stood out to him the most. He could have pointed out the continuous talk regarding the NFLPA vs. the owners, the large amount of fines doled out or even the emphasis on player safety but he chose the flawed playoff system.
It’s very rare that in a game that has a winner and a loser, that fans of both teams go home unhappy. That was the case when the Giants beat the Redskins 17-14 this past Sunday. Due to the fact that the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears, the Giants were eliminated from the playoffs while a 7-9 team qualified for postseason play for the first time in a non-strike season. Based on the fact that they won one of the worst divisions in recent NFL memory, the Seattle Seahawks are able to host a playoff game with a sub-.500 record while two 10-6 teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants, are sitting at home watching them on TV.
“What has surprised me in the playoffs is not seeing New York or Tampa Bay in the playoffs. Both teams had successful records, however it wasn’t enough,” Carter said.
Carter says he is looking forward to this Sunday’s NFC Wild Card matchup, featuring two of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks, one of which is an NFC East rival that jumpstarted his playoff push with a 59-28 shellacking on Monday Night Football at FedEx Field in mid-November.
“I am looking forward to the Packers and Eagles game. I have to support my Cal alum, Aaron Rodgers. I have to see what Vick will do when he’s back to normal health,” he said.
Fan Questions:
TCIYM: It’s hard to say what the future holds for the Washington Redskins player personnel-wise so I just want to say Thank You for five years busting your hump every week as a Washington Redskin and I’ll continue to follow you on Twitter.
AC: Thanks for following on Twitter. I appreciate your support as well as having faith in the Washington Redskins.
KazooSkinsFan: Name three players you don’t think will be here next year.
AC: I really couldn’t say. The future of players in the NFL can go either way.
PAPDOG67: Andre, first let me say thank you for another season of busting out there for us on every play. I know myself, and the fans appreciate your effort. My question is being that we played, and beat 3 of the 6 teams in the dance in the NFC, does this team feel its a lot closer to turning the corner next year? Who do you like to come out of the NFC?
AC: The team is headed in the right direction. The head coach always spoke about character. It’s character that wins championships and with the unique group of men in the organization anything is possible.
Irn-Bru: Andre, thanks so much for another season of hard work through a lot of adversity. We also really appreciate the time you’ve taken to interact with us fans during the year. Are there any activities or foods you are looking forward to enjoying that you couldn’t during the season?
AC: Man, I am heading to California on Saturday. There is a cigar spot by my house. Once I am situated it is on. Besides that, I need to catch up on some reading and finally get some tattoo work done.
Edit: This blog was archived in May of 2016 from our original articles database.It was originally posted by Jake Russell